Daria Kasatkina held off a spirited performance from Leyla Fernandes to win in straight sets at the Eastbourne International.
The Russian sixth seed won 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 50 minutes at Devonshire Park to claim her seventh WTA title.
Kasatkina, who lost to American Madison Keys in last year’s final, dominated the first set and closed out the match despite a brief fight back from Canadian Keys in the second.
“It’s been a year but it feels like only a few days since the last final,” said Kasatkina, 27.
“It was a tough fight today. It was a long journey to get the title but I’m really proud.”
Fernandez’s serve was broken in the first game after she missed a slice drop shot, but Kasatkina made up for it with a hold.
The Canadian eventually found his rhythm, winning three break points in the hard-fought fifth game that lasted just over 20 minutes, including an interruption while a spectator received treatment.
But after 11 deuces, Kasatkina secured a crucial hold and rode the momentum from that point for the rest of the first set, sealing the victory with a second break in the ninth game after Fernandez double-faulted.
Kasatkina, who defeated Emma Raducanu in the quarterfinals, showed no signs of slowing in the second set, racing out to a 3-0 lead.
But Fernandez fought back and got a crucial break back on serve to go up 3-3 before breaking for the second time in the set, this time after Kasatkina double-faulted at a crucial moment.
The match looked set to go into a third set when Fernandez broke for the second time to lead 4-3, but Kasatkina fought back quickly by breaking back.
Fernandez’s momentum faded as Kasatkina mercilessly closed out the match, the 21-year-old overhitting a forehand return to secure the victory.
Kasatkina ends losing streak in final
Kasatkina has struggled in finals in recent years.
She has lost her last five WTA finals, three of them in 2024, and has not won a tour title since 2022.
Fernandez’s more flamboyant style of play paid off and there must have been some nervousness among the players when the second set seemed to go in his favour.
So Kasatkina’s ability to keep her cool in the final must have pleased her, especially on the eve of Wimbledon, where she has never made it past the quarter-finals.
Fernandez, meanwhile, showed glimpses of quality play at the net but made too many unforced errors during rallies from the baseline, which cost him the match.
“The tournament in Eastbourne was fantastic, I enjoyed my time there and hopefully there will be many more finals like this in the future,” Fernandes said.
“The team has been encouraging me these past few months and the hard work is paying off, so I just have to keep working hard and never give up.”
